


The Forgotten

by dyodorant



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Fluff, M/M, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-11
Updated: 2017-02-11
Packaged: 2018-09-23 12:16:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9657134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dyodorant/pseuds/dyodorant
Summary: Kyungsoo was always warned about the woods and the strange things that lived inside, his grandmother always told him to be careful, to always stay away from the woods. What will he do when he accidentally catches the attention of someone he should have never met?





	1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

 

The difference between fairytales and legends? Fairy tales are pure imagination. Legends are stories passed down, most commonly from a true event, but of course no one will ever actually know if they’re true unless they’ve seen or been there themselves. Kyungsoo lives just outside of the forest, just outside of the source of fear embedded in his grandmother. She told him to heed her warnings but he never did, he was never careful, never wary and never scared. 

 

The legend goes that there are people, things in the forest, they’re humans but somehow something different, something more, something dangerous. They walk around looking like men, but deep inside rests a power, a power like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Some say they change shape, others say they control the elements, fire, water, wind and earth. They’re so peculiar that you question whether you ever even saw it. Only the elders remember what really happened between the town and the things, the memories, and fear remaining as if it were yesterday. In this day it’s as if everyone but them forgot which is how they got their name, The Forgotten. 

 

Kyungsoo thinks it all fake, a dream that leaked to reality and scared others into thinking they saw it too. Kyungsoo was never one to believe in fairytales and was always skeptical of the elder’s gossip. It makes it hard cause the one he hears most stories from is his own grandmother. She’s constantly worried for him, warning him and trying to protect him. 

 

She’ll tell him stories of her childhood, of the times she’d wake up in the middle of the night and feel eyes watching here, see figures in the field near her home, footsteps on the streets behind her as she walked. When he was younger it worked in scaring him, some nights he wouldn’t be able to sleep for fear gripped him tight. He’d refuse to walk home alone and didn’t want to go out with his friends at night. As he grew up he forgot the terror and the paranoia, it faded into a childhood fear... his own personal boogeyman.

 

She’s always told him that they aren’t always active, they usually come out during the transition from autumn to winter, when the leaves change from crisp reds and oranges to dull brown and grey, lying on the ground waiting to lifelessly fly in the wind. When snow begins to fall, when the wind becomes bitter and everyone hides in their homes for warmth. 

 

When the Forgotten come out of the woods, things go missing, things like food, candles, clothing. Small things that would unnoticeably go missing, but really, nothing ever went unnoticed by Mrs. Do. 

 

_ ‘ “I could have sworn I left my necklace here!” Kyunghee exclaimed, she stomped her foot and pouted her lips. She bent down and looked under the couch, lifting the cushions and pillows, she even looked under the small table and the rug too.  _

_ “Mom!” She yelled, tears starting to rim her eyes, She knelt there, looking around her hoping to catch a glimpse of her most precious belonging.  _

 

_ “Kyunghee? Are you alright?” She asked putting a hand on her daughter's shoulder, concern etching into her brows. _

 

_ “My locket! It’s gone!” She cried, tears spilling out of her large eyes. _

_ “How could I lose it? father gave that to me! It’s the last thing I have to remember him by!” She sobbed, covering her face. Her hands muffle her voice, making it just a little harder to understand her words. Her shoulders shake, Mrs. Do rubs her back in small soothing circles.  _

 

_ “It must be here somewhere, maybe you just forgot where you put it.” She says, her voice ever gentle but hiding the worry inside. Wariness settles in her chest, worry for her daughter and fear for what might come, for she knew exactly what happened to her daughter’s necklace, who  _ took  _ her daughter’s necklace. _

 

_ “Will you help me look, mom?” Kyunghee looks up, eye pleading with tears that stain her rosy cheeks. _

 

_ “Of course my angel, we’ll search every corner till there’s nowhere left to look!” She exclaims, wrapping her daughter in a comforting hug, all too aware of the gaze resting on them through the window facing their backs. ‘ _

 

 

~[Tumblr](http://dyodorant.tumblr.com)~   ~[Twitter](http://Twitter.com/peachiedo)~


	2. 1/?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please don't copy or repost anywhere

Kyungsoo woke up late, his eyes practically glued shut from only three hours of sleep. His alarm clock blared in his ear, screaming at him to wake up and get ready for the day. As he did get ready, the allure of his bed kept calling and enticing him back to sleep as his thoughts roam to the long work day ahead. He took a quick shower and cleaned himself up, he decided against styling his wine red hair, feeling more casual and lazy. He dresses in his usual black t-shirt and jeans, stepping into his shoes and shrugging his jacket on. 

He walks out the door, making sure to lock it behind himself before sauntering down the front porch and down his small driveway. He first heads to his friend, Junmyeon’s house to check up on him. The boy seemed upset on the phone the night before, he got into a fight with his boyfriend and Kyungsoo hasn't heard back from him.

The breeze cuts through his jacket and bites at his nose bitterly. He tucks his arms in more, keeping his warmth from being sucked up by the cold autumn air. His steps pause as he looks behind himself, eyes lingering on the dark, looming woods. His brow furrows with confusion and his shoulders feel heavy as if feeling the weight of someone’s gaze. The feeling foreign and strange to him. Without seeing anything out of the ordinary, he shrugs his shoulders after a moment and turns back to continue on his path, thinking it’s just an off day so far. It wouldn't be the first time he's felt strange, though never in this particular way.

Once he makes it to Junmyeon’s house just down the street from his own, he knocks on the front door and waits. He kicks his feet and bites his lip, a habit he should try harder to break. He doesn't always worry about Junmyeon, but the boy is sensitive and it does worries Kyungsoo sometimes, makes him want to protect the older boy to his best capabilities.

He sighs, feeling anxious and tired of waiting when no one answers the door. He decides to look around for a spare key, his eyes wander and fall on a small flower planter... typical. Rolling his eyes, he walks to it and gently digs his hand into the dirt to feel around. A small smile of victory stretches his heart lips when his fingers brush the cold metal of a key. He takes it out, rubbing away the caked on dirt. He walks back and unlocks the door before stepping in.

He’s greeted with silence and a cold blast of air, he wonders why Junmyeon’s heater isn’t on. No one is around to welcome him, no happy Yixing sitting in the living room, no frazzled Junmyeon in the kitchen. With a small frown and confusion clouding his mind, he slips his shoes off and peeks around, the silence nipping at him anxiously. 

“Junmyeon?” He calls out, listening intently there’s no response, just a few faint noises coming from the upper floor. He furrows his brow and heads up the stairs. He walks down the hall, feet padding against the cold wood floors. As he draws closer to the boy’s bedroom, the source of the noise, he leans close and almost rests his ear on the door. 

He can still barely hear anything, but a small whimper catches his ear and alarms him. Common sense and any rational thought gets thrown out the window as he turns the knob and swings the door open, heart picking up pace just to stop cold in its tracks. What greets his eyes is something he wishes he could forget or have never even seen. 

Junmyeon is lying on his back, breath leaving his lips in short, fast pants. His skin is filmed over with sweat and his eyes are closed tightly. His boyfriend, Yixing, is on top of him, thrusting into him rapidly and relentlessly. His hair sticking to his forehead as strong, unfiltered grunts escape his throat. 

Kyungsoo lets out a loud, high-pitched scream, his eyes absorbing too much of the scene in front of him. Yixing freezes mid-thrust and whips his head back to see Kyungsoo standing shell shocked. Junmyeon’s eyes snap open and time freezes for them all. What really lasts just a few short seconds feels like an eternity as they stare at each other. Kyungsoo’s eyes are wide, his hands covering his mouth. 

“I’m so sorry!” He yells, voice shakes and two octaves too high. He shakes his head and backs away, his back bumps into the wall behind him, which in turn startles him even more. He wishes he could tear his eyes away but his eyes are painfully drawn the scene in front of him. 

It takes Junmyeon yelling something he doesn’t understand for his soul to return to his body. When it does, he turns and runs down the stairs, nearly tripping in his rushed escape. He clumsily slips his shoes back on half way before running out the door. He lets it slam behind him. His eyes are wide as he just stands on the porch, going over what he just witnessed. Mortification washes over him, practically drowning him and making it impossible to breathe.

“They were having sex.” He mumbles before slapping his cheeks. He shakes his head back and forth, hair flowing with the movement. A warm flush travels up his neck and settles in his cheeks and ears, when he recalls the image. He releases a small whimper and walks down the porch, his legs feeling a little wobbly. He doesn’t spare another look back as he makes his way to Baekhyun’s home, fully intent on sharing his horrific adventure.

He creeps up the porch hesitantly, not seeing any cars in the street or driveway of the house which he takes as a good sign that Baek doesn’t have a one night stand over. He knocks lightly on the door, biting his lip as he waits patiently this time. Two people yelling meets his ears, the sound muffled by the thick, baby blue door in front of him. He puckers his lips and plays with the hem of his shirt a bit, startling when Baekhyun swings the door open abruptly.

Kyungsoo’s eyes meet the boy’s blank stare as he chooses to ignore the toothbrush stuffed inside Baekhyun’s mouth. Kyungsoo’s eyes trail down, he smirks at his shirt which quotes: ‘stop being cute if you’re not gonna date me’.

“Sorry Baek, but you’re not really my type.” He chuckles, shaking his head. Baekhyun makes a confused noise before glancing down. He rolls his eyes and leans his weight onto one foot, his hip jutting out sassily.

“Like I’d date you.” He tries to say but it comes out garbled and muffled by the toothbrush and toothpaste in his mouth. He opens the door wider and walks back inside, just leaving Kyungsoo at the door. 

Kyungsoo shakes his head as steps in. The door closes with a firm thus, the knob clicking into place.. A small smile plays with his lips as his nose is greeted by the sweet smell of pancakes and honey syrup. He toes off his shoes and walks towards the kitchen, peeking around the corner. He smiles when he sees Mrs. Byun bustling around the kitchen, her soft voice humming beneath her breath as she makes the pancakes and eggs.

“Good morning Mrs. Byun!” Kyungsoo chirps, walking up next her and pecking her on the cheek with a kiss. 

“Kyungsoo dear! Good morning!” She wraps him in a tight, warm hug. The warmth from her arms melting the chill of autumn air that’s swallowed him whole. She kisses his cheek and turns towards the stove, flipping a small fluffy pancake before it has a chance to burn.  
“Have you eaten, dear?.” She says, her voice soft and light, fluttering a greeting Kyungsoo’s ears. A small, adoring smile rests on her lips and in her eyes. Kyungsoo shakes and dips his head shyly, his red hair falling into his eyes. Mrs. Byun makes a noise and shakes her head disapprovingly, she wipes her hands on her apron and opens the fridge. She starts pulling out containers and bottles, holding them all in her small arms.

“Well, that won’t do! You’ll eat with us before you two leave! Why don’t you go upstairs and talk with Baekhyun while he gets dressed, he’s been a chatter bug all morning and as much as I love him, I need a break from that boy.” She gives a light shooing motion after setting the stuff down and turning her back to him, her attention settling back on the food. Kyungsoo smiles at her, thanking her softly before leaving. 

His feet pad up the stairs, the floor creaking occasionally under his weight. He loves the atmosphere the Byun’s house carries, their house is warm and cozy, but open and airy. The house is well lived in, the floors creak and doors sometimes squeak, but it feels like a home. It makes him feel comfortable and safe. 

When he is at home, though, he feels suffocated and closed in. Between his grandmother’s worrying and his mother’s pestering to get a girlfriend, he feels antsy all the time, like he can’t relax or even breathe properly, especially seeing as how neither of them know he’s gay. He loves them of course, but sometimes they can be a little overwhelming. What family isn’t? he just wishes he could live how he wants to live, without all these restraints and the worry of disappointing them. 

He sighs and shakes his head at his thoughts, feeling drained when the day hasn’t even begun yet. He turns down the hall and walking into Baekhyun’s room. He closes the door for privacy and sits on the edge of the bed, watching his friend dry his damp hair with a small towel. He examine himself in the mirror, playing with a few strands between his fingers. He pulls his cheek and smooths an eyebrow, he hums in thought, his hand stopping in favor of playing with a lock of hair once more. 

“Soo, what do you think of me coloring my hair?” He asks, glancing over at Kyungsoo to see his reaction, but when he doesn’t get much of one he looks back at his reflection. He puffs out his cheeks in thought, turning his head at different angles to seeing his hair.  
“I probably shouldn’t, it’d damage the hell out of it, just look at what happened to Yixing’s last summer... He just barely got all the bad ends grown out.” He sighs, walking to Kyungsoo and flopping down on the bed next to him making them both bounce on the springs softly. He props his head on his hand, watching Kyungsoo from the side. Kyungsoo bites his lip, not looking at baekhyun, favoring his off-white walls.

“I walked in on Junmyeon and Yixing having sex!” He blurts out, his cheeks tinting a soft pink shade. Baekhyun looks up at him, his eyes only slightly widened at Kyungsoo’s confession. 

“Are you serious? Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong? Our Junmyeon having sex?” He fires one question after the other, his tone rising towards the last syllable.

“Baekhyun, do you really think there’s a wrong way to see something like that? Especially if it’s Junmyeon?” He asks, shaking his head.   
“They were so sweaty, and so naked. I just wanna erase it!” He groans squeezing his eyes shut and flopping back on the bed. His hair ruffles around his head softly, the red contrasting with Baekhyun’s light blue sheets. Baekhyun pats his shoulder twice, shaking his head.

“Sorry Soo, I’m afraid you’ll never forget, just learn to repress it.” He says dramatically. Kyungsoo rolls his eyes and brushes the elder’s hand off, letting it flop on the mattress between them. They sit in silence for a couple minutes, lingering in their own thoughts.

“I want a boyfriend.” Baekhyun finally breaks the silence, his voice sounds loud with their close proximity. Kyungsoo’s eyebrows draw together as he looks over at the older male.

“What’s new about that? Literally every week you make some sort of comment about a boyfriend Baek, ‘I’m lonely, I should just date someone’, ‘I’m broke, I should apply for a sugar daddy’, ‘I’m horny I-” Kyungsoo stops abruptly, flinching backwards with his eyes squeezed shut, Baekhyun’s hand only a few inches from his face in a threatening manner.

“I get it jerk, you can shut up.” Baekhyun snaps, standing up and pulling his shirt off, flinging it into some corner of his room to join one of the other many piles.  
“You just don’t get it Soo, you won’t until you’ve experienced it.” He sighs.

“Which I probably never will Baek, mom wants me to get a girlfriend, she doesn’t know about me and she probably never will.” He sighs, biting his lip again, a habit he should really break. Baekhyun walks towards him and straddles his hips, resting his hands on either side of his head. They both look into each other’s eyes, a hesitant silence passing between them.

“How will she ever know, Soo, if you don’t tell her? You can’t place all the blame on her… you have to be open and trusting that she’ll react well. It’s hard, I get it... I do, but you can’t expect anything to change unless you reach for what you want.”

“It’s not that easy Baek, she has an image of me in her head, a whole future planned out for me. I’m pretty sure she’s even started planning my wedding in her head. I can’t just come right out and tell her, she’d be devastated, and the really sad thing is, I don’t know if she’d even accept me.” Kyungsoo puffs out a breath, lifting his hand and playing with the leg of Baekhyun’s shorts. A ghost of a smile on his lips.  
“Why don’t we have a little go, secret rendezvous at the fluffy bunny, stealing glance.” He teases. A smirk plays at Baekhyun’s lips, he drops his head forwards, his hair coming down to lightly tickle Kyungsoo’s forehead.

“Nasty, Soo. You wish I would go for your crusty ass.” Straightening so he’s sitting on Kyungsoo’s lap.  
“Like I said, you won’t know until you actually tell her, you have to make the first move. Maybe you could open her up to the idea? Test the waters a bit before Jumping straight in?” Kyungsoo nods softly at Baekhyun’s suggestion, a small hum leaving his lips. 

‘I guess so… I’ll think about it, Baek, but for starters, can you please get off me? You’re fucking heavy.” He laughs and pushes Baekhyun off his lap, the latter hitting the floor with a thump. Baekhyun groans from the floor, his leg coming up to kicks Kyungsoo’s shin.

“So disrespectful.” He grumbles, collecting himself off the floor.  
“I’m not heavy, you’re just weak.” He defending himself as he walks back to the closet to pull out a plain white t-shirt, paired with his favorite leather jacket and faded jeans. He quickly changes and grabs his keys, wallet, and phone. He stuffs them in his pocket before exiting his room, not even waiting for Kyungsoo who slowly follows suit. His eyes are glued to his phone screen as he re-reads a strange text he received.

“Oh, boys! You’re done.” Mrs. Byun exclaims, smiling widely, she sets down a large plate of pancakes on the table, followed by honey, strawberries, and bananas. Kyungsoo smiles warmly, his stomach growls lowly, already anticipating the delicious food. 

“It looks amazing, Mrs. Byun! Thank you for the meal.” He takes his seat next to Baekhyun and waits for her to join them. Baekhyun right away places two pancakes on his plate before grabbing some for himself. While they eat, he steals a glance down at his phone that rests in his lap, biting his lip as he turns slightly in his seat. He opens his mouth to say something, his voice a low whisper.  
“Baek, I got a really weird text this morning, it’s kinda freaking me out a little...” He trails off, voice dying down. The older boy turns to him, his mouth full of banana, a small sound manages to escape the mushy barricade. He grabs Kyungsoo's phone from his hand as the younger boy offers it to him. He reads over it, a weird look settling over his face. 

“Wrong number maybe?” He suggests, handing Kyungsoo his phone back. Kyungsoo inhales deeply, straightening in his own chair.

"Yeah, maybe." He mutters. Anxiety eats at him, something just doesn’t feel right. Baekhyun continues eating his breakfast, much too blinded by the food to properly gauge Kyungsoo's body language.

“This is delicious, mom!” Baekhyun says happily before taking another bite. Her smile grows and she takes a bite of her own, munching happily on the honey covered pancake. Kyungsoo takes a small bite, eyebrows drawing together as he wonders how Baekhyun’s mouth could so big if his cheeks are so small. The two have a typical mother, son banter, with the exception of a few underhanded slaps from her and small chuckles from Baekhyun. Kyungsoo stays inside his head, mind wandering to all the things that plague his conscious. 

Baekhyun nudges him with his elbow once in awhile when he misses a question thrown his way, which he’ll reply to with a heart warming smile, but more or less they leave him to his thoughts, seeing clearly he needs some time. After eating, Kyungsoo insisted he washes the dishes in return for the lovely breakfast she made. She happily accepted but not without making Baekhyun help as well. Kyungsoo washed, Baekhyun dried. Once they finished, the two boys shuffle out the door and head down the street at a rushed pace, the both of them getting dangerously close to the start of their shifts. 

Kyungsoo works at a bookstore, it gets especially busy on weekends cause that’s when new orders come in so everyone flocks to get their personal order or browse at new releases before they’re all gone. Baekhyun works in a coffee shop, as you can imagine, it’s always busy, doesn’t matter if it’s weekend or a Monday. There’s an endless abundance of people walking in and out, the desire for caffeine weighing them down till they’re satisfied. Though it usually dies down around noon when everyone is at work or school. 

Junmyeon runs the coffee shop, the three of them knew each other back from junior high, though Junmyeon was getting ready for high school, being a few years older. They made fast friends, despite the differences in their personalities. 

Before parting ways, Baekhyun and Kyungsoo stand on the corner of the street, talking before they have to leave each other completely. Their voices rise as they get further apart, they ignore the looks they get from other people, too focused on finishing their conversation to care.

“How late are you working today? The three of us are going out for dinner tonight.” Baekhyun states, not even asking if Kyungsoo wanted to. He kicks a rock near his shoe, sending it flying across the road. Kyungsoo watches it as it jumps into the gutter, joining a bunch of leaves and dirty water.

“I work till six today, maybe a little later since shipments are coming in.” He says.

“Another nine hours? Are you even sleeping enough? You’re gonna wreck yourself, Soo.” He laughs.  
“Especially with all the porn you’ve been watching at night, you should trade some of that time for actually sleeping.” He shakes his head, laughing. Kyungsoo picks up and throws a medium sized rock at him, missing him by at least five inches. 

“Dumbass, you’re gonna pay for dinner tonight!” He yells as he walks away, a small blush heating the tips of his cold ears. Baekhyun’s giggles echo in the open air, sending Kyungsoo off with a smile.

“Yeah sure, I get it.”

~~☾~

The bell over the door dings as Kyungsoo pushes it open, the sign still hasn’t been flipped to open and the store remains quiet. He looks around confused as he walks behind the counter and into the back room. He takes his coat off and puts in on the hanger, opting to leave his keys and wallet in the pocket. 

“Jongdae?” He hollers, his voice being absorbed and muffled by the large boxes and books lying around, a few seconds of silence pass, in which Kyungsoo steps around a tall pile of new hard-backs.

“Over here Kyungsoo!” He yells back, surprising the boy. Kyungsoo walks further into the room and looks behind a large stack of boxes, seeing Jongdae huddled behind and a book held open in his hands.

“Sorry, I forgot to open the store, Soo.. But! I was looking through the orders and we got the new hard covers of Harry Potter! Isn’t this exciting? I was just gonna take a glance but I just somehow started reading it. I got here a while ago but I haven’t done much back here, I’m sorry!.” He explains, a large smile and happy eyes softening the blow on Kyungsoo, but the sincere apology tops the cake. 

“That’s very exciting Dae, have you been waiting for them?” he asks, in which he gets an excited nod in response. 

“I have, the vendor said we might not get them since they’re in such high demand but we lucked out this time!” He exclaims, his cat curls becoming more prominent as his smile widens.

“They must have heard your prayers!” He jokes but receives a nod and hum of agreement in response.   
“I’m gonna go open the store. So when you’re done being a fanboy, I need you to start opening other boxes and find the inventory sheet.” He smiles down at him and walks back to the front. Despite Jongdae being the owner, he wonders how he keeps the store running without Kyungsoo there. No harm, but Jongdae tends to get distracted by objects of his affection.

He flips the sign to open and goes on about his day, somehow already feeling tired but more energized from his few moments in Jongdae’s company.

The day was filled with young school girls coming in, their high pitched laughs flooding the whole store and their mother’s perfume which they’ve sprayed an excessive amount of attacks his nostrils. They sometimes bought a small notebook, bookmark or even a random manga off the shelf, but overall they just stood there giggling and gossiping. Eventually Kyungsoo had to ask them to leave, for they had to close soon and in return he received a few glares on their way out of the small bookstore. He didn’t care enough to be bothered by it, he just wanted to close and get out of there.

Surprisingly to Kyungsoo, it wasn’t all that busy, he helped the customers, restocked the books and cleaned around the shop. He got to chit chat with Jongdae, who eventually fired off and went on a whole Harry Potter rant, he didn’t mind, it was actually nice to have someone to just banter with. 

“We got some good ones this time around, we’re lucky Mr. Kim ordered early this month.” Kyungsoo says as he unpacks more of the books, looking at the new and clean covers. One book in particular drawing in his attention. A book on wolf mythology, Kyungsoo shakes his head, turning it over. A smirk plays at his lips.  
“I shouldn’t read this, or else I’ll get stocked by some insane wolf boy.” He says jokingly, flipping through the pages. Drawings and pictures decorate the pages, accompanied by words spewing myths and legends of werewolves. Jongdae leans and peers over Kyungsoo’s shoulder. 

“Careful Soo, it might get you!” He grabs Kyungsoo’s sides from behind, startling the younger into making him squeak. The book falls from his hands and he fumbles to catch it, he clutches it to his chest and turns to look at Jongdae, eyes wide. Jongdae takes a step back, his eyes and lips smiling at him with mirth.

“You’re so jumpy!.” He giggles, taking the book from Kyungsoo’s hand and puts it on the shelf behind him.  
“We should hurry and finish putting these away, Soo, don’t kill me till the job is done.” Kyungsoo agrees, he wants out.

~~☾~

When it came time to close, Jongdae was still hanging around, which isn’t strange for him to do lately, so Kyungsoo invited him to have dinner with him and his friends, which of course Jongdae accepted gratefully. 

They lock up after doing inventory, the cold air outside a stark difference to the heated air which formerly snuggled them. Kyungsoo shivers and pulls his jacket tighter. He looks over to see how Jongdae is faring: not much better than himself. Kyungsoo chuckles lightly, catching the other’s attention. 

“What?” He looks around for the cause of Kyungsoo’s laugh, a curious look in his eyes, his eyebrows tilting up a little.

“Nothing, it’s just, I’d offer you my coat but I’m in no better condition than you are.” He chuckles again, shaking his head thinking how weird they must look, curlining on themselves to keep the warmth in their jackets. Jongdae smiles at this and looks forward again.

“Just the thought is nice, Kyungsoo. Thank you. Besides, I didn’t even once consider giving you my jacket, guess I’m too selfish?” He laughs, speeding his pace up. They walk briskly to the restaurant, Kyungsoo holds the door open for Jongdae to go inside first.

They stretch their limbs lightly to warm them up, Kyungsoo’s fingers feel like ice cubes as he brings them up to his lips to puff warm air on them. His wide eyes scan the restaurant, only stopping when they land on junmyeon’s hand waving him over. He looks over at Jongdae and lightly tugs his sleeve, coaxing him to follow him to the table.

They all greet the two with smiles and hello’s, a happy and excited vibe rushing to them. Kyungsoo sits next to Baekhyun, nudging him and sending a soft glare. Jongdae sits in the last free seat next to Yixing. Kyungsoo awkwardly makes eye contact with Junmyeon, in response they both look away quickly. A blush warming Kyungsoo’s cheeks. 

Neither of them forgot.

“It’s been awhile since we last saw you Jongdae, how are things going for you, how’s the boyfriend?” Junmyeon asks with a friendly voice. He leans forward a little to see past Yixing. Jongdae’s smile widens, his cat curls stretching and eyebrows tilting up. 

“He’s amazing, Junmyeon! He recently got promoted to manager at the Fuzzy Bunny, he was so excited! He almost didn’t get it cause he missed a week during a holiday because he caught the flu, but the owner was very understanding after a little persuasion.” He said, a sly smile spreading across his face.   
“Last week was our two year anniversary and he took me out on the most romantic date.” He proceeds to tell them all about the amazing candle-lit dinner, to romantic music and dancing. How they took a long walk on the beach and at the end of the night they went home and had the most relaxing bath filled with lavender bubble soap, light pink and white rose petals. When Xiumin so lovingly washed his hair and his back, at the end of his story he blushes slightly, looking at his lap shyly. Baekhyun coos at him, his chin resting on his palm. He glances at Kyungsoo, tapping his knee, an all too familiar look on his face. He leans closer till he’s close to Kyungsoo’s ear.

“We need someone like that.” Is all he says and leans back, a small glint in his eyes. The usual urge to roll his eyes didn’t hit Kyungsoo this time, no, just a sense of sadness. He wishes he could help but there’s nothing he could do, considering he can’t even help himself in that regard. So instead, he wraps an arm around the other’s shoulders, awkwardly rubbing his arm. To this, Baekhyun gave him a funny look and flicked his forehead.

“Kyungsoo!” Junmyeon says, startling Kyungsoo from his thoughts. He didn’t realise he was spacing out, but judging by the faces everyone wore it was obvious he was.  
“You ok, Soo?” He asks. Kyungsoo responds with a nod.

“I’m ok, must be more tired than I thought. No worries.” He smiles, shooing away everyone’s stares and dropping his arms from his friend. Junmyeon nods and clears his throat, shifting in his chair a bit.

“Well, we wanna ask if you if you want to do this again the Thursday after next, we need to do this more often, we barely ever see you anymore.” Kyungsoo draws his eyebrows together and tilts his head to the side.

“We just saw each other last week, how is that not very often?” He asks and Junmyeon shakes his head. 

“Just say you’ll join us, we need to see each other more.” He demands, a stern look in his eyes. Kyungsoo shakes his head and leans back, his lips pucker and he plays with a thread on his jacket. 

“Fine, but I’m not drinking with you guys again, Baekhyun always gets clingy and you two always get strangely into each other’s eyes.” He mutters. Junmyeon nods, lifting up his hand and giving a thumbs up.

“Deal! We’re gonna have so much fun!” He smiles wide, and like a domino effect everyone else smiles too.   
“What is everyone ordering? He asks, looking at everyone's faces. Jongdae shrugs, and Yixing’s eyes widen before he reaches for a menu, flipping to the first page.

“I already know what I'm getting.” Baekhyun says while looking at his phone.  
“What about you, Soo?” 

“I think I'll have soybean stew.” He looks through the menu once or twice more before nodding to himself. They made small talk while Yixing decided on what to get, when he finished call over a waiter to come take their order. They each tell him what they want, drinks included, and he walks away muttering about this and that. When their food comes Kyungsoo releases a small oh. His eyes following the food.

He also must have been more hungry than he thought cause as soon as his bowl gets set down his stomach lets out a low growl. He blushes when Baekhyun looks over, a teasing smirk on his face. He ignores it as he grabs his spoon to scoop some up. They all dig in, hums of appreciation fill the air. 

“I haven’t had this in so long, not since I saw my mom!” Jongdae exclaims, he shoves another bite in his mouth, his cheeks bulging softly. 

“Do you not eat at home?” Junmyeon asks, eating a small bundle of rice. Jongdae hums softly, slowing down so he can talk.

“My roommate and I don’t really cook... well more like we can’t cook, so we’re always ordering fried chicken or jajangmyeon.” Junmyeon gives his a horrified look.

“Jongdae! You should eat something more nutritious than that! It’s not healthy to eat that so often!” He exclaims.   
“Kyungsoo! How could you let him do this? You should go cook for him more!” Junmyeon scolds Kyungsoo who, in response, looks up with wide eyes, spoon hanging in the air and his mouth hanging open.

“Wha.. It’s not my job to make sure he’s fed! He’s an adult!” He fires back, spoon falling back into the bowl. Junmyeon shakes his head, his eyes close.

“I thought I raised you better than that, Kyungsoo. He’s your friend, you have to look out for him, that’s how it works.” Kyungsoo opens his mouth to defend himself but Jongdae waves his hands around. 

“It’s fine guys! I’m totally ok with it, I’m perfectly healthy! Besides I’m capable to cook something if I have to, I’m just not good at it. You don’t need to scold Kyungsoo, it’s not his fault. Honestly we rarely talk about home stuff with each other anyway, so he couldn’t have known.” He explains, Junmyeon calms down but still sends a small glare Kyungsoo’s way. 

“I told you.” Kyungsoo mutters and picks his spoon back up and shoves it in his mouth. Jongdae relaxes back in his chair and takes a breath. 

~~☾~

After they ate and paid, they walked out the door and started heading towards the Fuzzy Bunny for some ice cream. Junmyeon got vanilla, Baekhyun and Jongdae got strawberry, Yixing chocolate and Kyungsoo, mint chocolate chip. They sat inside munching quietly on their double scoops and waffle cones, small chit chat between the four of them while Kyungsoo was in his own world. He felt bad for not paying attention to them, for being in his own head all night but something was bothering him. 

He’s felt weird all day, His shoulders felt head and he felt uneasy, almost like he was being watched, but it’s not possible considering he’s been inside the store all day and it’s small enough he would have noticed someone being there. Then there’s the text he got, it’s been nagging at him, yes it’s vague, but also much too personal to be a wrong number. He releases a small breath and eat the last of his cone, licking his lips afterwards.

“I think I'm gonna head home guys, I have an early day tomorrow so I'll need to be in bed soon.” 

“You can't stay a little longer? We were talking about going to Junmyeon’s to watch a horror marathon on TV.” Baekhyun says, nudging kyungsoo’s shoulder with his. 

“As much fun as it sounds to see Baek scream like a girl, I can't.” He says, standing up and pushing his chair in which squeaks against the floor. Baekhyun yells at him, saying he doesn't scream like a girl and that the younger is one step closer to being an old man. Kyungsoo shakes his head, putting on an irritated face but is smiling on the inside.

“I love you too. I'll see you guys next week, maybe sooner.” He ends with a half-question over his shoulder before pushing the door open, a wave of goodbyes call after him. As soon as he steps out the door the cold air once again swallows him. He hugs himself around his waist and walks at a sped up pace, looking forward to curling up under a warm blanket. 

After an excruciatingly long walk, Kyungsoo walks up his drive way, shivering from being in the cold. He unlocks the door and steps in, a wave of heat melting his skin. His body jerks in a shiver as he takes his jacket off and hangs it by the door. He sighs and trudges to the living room and turns the TV on, switching it to a cartoon chanel and walks into his bedroom to change his clothes. 

He walks into his bedroom and walks straight to the closet and pulls out a large t-shirt and tosses it on the bed. He stripes off his shirt and throws it on the floor, he lazily puts the other one on and slides his pants off, kicking them across the floor. He walks into the kitchen, wondering if he really wants to make coffee or cocoa. Deciding against it, it being late and all, he looks around for some sort of snack. His eyes land on a small banana and he shrugs, picking it up. He flops on the couch and gets comfy, sliding so he’s lying down with his feet over the arm.

While he munches on his banana the cartoons play quietly, he occasionally laughs at something goofy the characters do. Half way through his third episode, someone’s dog starts barking loudly, probably one or two doors over. The barks completely drown out his cartoon, Kyungsoo really want to turn it up but doesn't, turning it up would only aggravate the dog more and cause a noise complaint so in the end he just turns it off and gets up from the couch. Stopping by the kitchen he throws his banana peel in the trash and shuts off all the lights. He finally retires to his room. 

He walks into his bathroom, flipping the light switch and looks in the mirror, taking in his appearance. He has small bags under his eyes, a couple shades darker than the rest of his face. His lips are red and swollen from biting them. A heavy sigh and long stare later, he reaches into his cabinet and take out his cleanser, moisturizer and toothpaste. Once clean, he dries his face and shuts off the light, throwing the towel in a laundry hamper and sliding into bed. He pulls the blankets up to his chin and closes his eyes. They sting from being open for long and being up so late with little sleep the night before. 

His body relaxes once and for all, becoming one with his bed. A wave of heat just crawls up his body and sleep tempts him into darkness, making him successfully fall asleep in a matter of minutes. He doesn’t dream and doesn’t stir, a night of stillness ahead of him, or so he thought. 

~~☾~

Not even an hour and a half after he passed out did he jolt awake, loud, unrelenting bangs on his door pull him from deep sleep. He fumbles out of his blankets, toppling onto the floor and whips his head to look at the alarm clock. Large red numbers that read 2:45 am stare him down. He jumps up and stumbles out his room, running and tripping to the front door. The knocks don’t cease one bit. He peaks out of the peephole and sees nothing, his eyebrows knit together in confusion and he unlocks it, cracking it slightly and peaking out.

He looks left and right, up and down and there’s nothing. Not a damn thing in sight, save for his rude and cranky neighbor three doors down. He’s standing outside his door, examining Kyungsoo with a heavy scowl. It confuses him, maybe he imagined it? No, it’s not possible, especially when he gets yelled at to keep the noise down, and to control his boyfriend, with that his neighbor slams his door, leaving Kyungsoo tired and immensely confused. With one more glance around, not seeing anything out of the normal he quietly closes his door, standing there with more questions than a few seconds earlier. Boyfriend? Not even plausible, but it irks him a little cause there was no one there, who would even be there at 2 am, but then… who knocked? 

He cocked his head to the side and locks the door, turning back around and slowly, oh so slowly walking back to his room. He gets ready to shut that door as well but freezes, his eyes landing on a figure situated on his bed. Confused, he squeezes his eye closed and pops them back open, they grow increasingly bigger when the figure is still there. It shifts and releases a soft sigh. 

“Are you gonna keep standing there?” He asks, his voice warm like honey, drizzling over Kyungsoo’s head. Kyungsoo sucks in a breath, taking a small, measured step back.   
“Aren’t you coming to bed?” With that he screams, the same pitched sound he’s had since forever. On a delay, he turns and runs out of his room taking a sharp right, his eyes landing on the dark oak front door. Fear making him sluggish and scared. He doesn’t make it far before a pair of warm, insanely warm, arms sneak around his waist, halting his movements. He squirms and shrieks, kicking his legs and pulling on the man's wrists. The arms tighten around him, lips coming close to his ear, successfully making him stop, fear and shock invading his senses.

“Don’t be scared, I’m not here to hurt you. I’ve come for you.” He says, the words echoing in Kyungsoo’s head, replaying over and over before he passes out, his body falling slack in the warm hold. 

‘Kyungsoo woke up a little late, he only got three hours of sleep, having been up late finishing a new book he bought. He rubs his eyes and turns on his side, taking a few seconds to wake up fully. He digs his phone out from under his pillow, he turns it on waits, rubbing his eyes lightly. He stopping and wiggles a little at the start up jingle, unlocking it and waiting for new notifications to come through. When they do, his phone dings a couple times (at least five) and he’s swarmed with texts from the group chat with Baekhyun, Junmyeon and Yixing. 

He laughs a couple times as he reads through, Junmyeon complaining about a drama, Yixing comforting him and Baekhyun making fun of the both of them, calling them ‘a gross old married couple’. His smile falls and head tilts, confusion writing across his face. He taps on a new text from an unknown number, the words chilling him to the bone. “I’m coming for you.” 

Kyungsoo reads over it a few times before lowering his phone and letting it drop on the bed. Maybe it’s a wrong number, maybe it wasn’t even meant for him. He mulled over the words for a few seconds but puts them aside when his snooze alarm goes off. He reaches up and shuts it off, throwing his blankets off and getting up. He stretches his muscles and walks to his bathroom, shutting the door to get ready for the day.’

~~☾~

**Author's Note:**

> Do Not Copy or Repost Anywhere.


End file.
